REVIEW: Fans are Slaves to stunning Leadmill show

The Star's Opinion

With their debut album, Are You Satisfied?, newly released and a recent NME tour slot which saw them reduce gig-goers up and down the country into giddy, sweaty messes, Slaves appear to be on a fast track to rock’n’roll glory.

Slaves returned to The Leadmill to give Sheffield the show they had been waiting for since its postponement in May – and they certainly did not disappoint.

Support came from Crows. The London trio hold nothing back – their raw energy fills the venue as frontman James Cox fights to be heard over the noisy, garage rock created around him by his wide-eyed band mates.

Soon it is time for the main event as Slaves – guitarist Laurie Vincent and drummer Isaac Holman – walk on stage playing the title track of Are You Satisfied?

It is a relatively calm start to a gig which quickly descends into the exact opposite.

The duo then rattle through Ninety Nine which sees both beers and bodies flying all over the place.

It soon becomes obvious that the tone is set for the night as the smartly dressed pair discard their tops and the raucous applause carries throughout the venue.

As the duo power through the set carrying on with tracks such as Live Like An Animal and Despair and Traffic, they soon reach crowd favourite Where’s Your car Debbie.

Despite not being featured on the album, it is a song the uncontrollable crowd know and love as the screeches of “Debbie, where’s your car’ can be heard even outside the venue.

Songs from the album such as Sockets and Wow!!!7am make way for new single Cheer Up London which even sees Holman offering up career advice in the form of “Basically, if you’re not happy in your job, don’t do it.”

Slave' Isaac Holman on stage at The Leadmill in Sheffield. Picture: Hannah Woollaston.

The crowd are more than happy to agree as the pair power on into White Knuckle Ride.

Next up is Feed The Mantaray, which traditionally comes complete with a dressed up, aquatic dancing, crowd-surfing mantaray, much to the delight of everyone in attendance.

The band then carry on with their set and soon come to The Hunter, which gets the biggest reaction of the night with Holman seething and spitting out his words accompanied by Vincent’s impressive snake hips.

The duo then announce the last song of the evening to be Hey – but the pair and crowd show no signs of slowing down as Holman and Vincent can stand no more and launch themselves over the barrier and in the awaiting crowd.

Slave' Isaac Holman on stage at The Leadmill in Sheffield. Picture: Hannah Woollaston.

Slaves proved just why they appear to be on top of their game right now – expect to see and hear a lot more of them in 2015.

Slave' Laurie Vincent on stage at The Leadmill in Sheffield. Picture: Hannah Woollaston.

Slaves performing to a packed The Leadmill in Sheffield. Picture: Hannah Woollaston.